This season has gone by so fast and we’ve officially seen enough football to determine which players have solidified roles in their respective offenses. Whether injuries have occurred or unexpected players have stepped up, we must react and make adjustments each and every week.
I’ll help you decide which fantasy football waiver wire pickups you should be making that could benefit your fantasy teams now, later in the season, or just for the upcoming Week 13.
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire updates are completed Sunday nights, Mondays, and Tuesdays.
- Free-Agent Acquisition Budget dollar bid prices for Week 13 are based on a season-long budget of $100.
- Adjust your percentage and scale accordingly for your league’s unique FAAB allotment and your remaining FAAB dollars.
- Roster % is based on Yahoo! Fantasy leagues information as of 10 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 28.
2021 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 13: Top Pickups
Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings (50% rostered)
Dalvin Cook suffered a shoulder dislocation Sunday and will undergo an MRI on Monday.
Again, it’s time to grab a popular handcuff if he’s still available. Mattison, owner of 100-plus-yard games in Cook’s Week 3 and 5 absences, would lead the way in a Cook-less backfield.
The Vikings get the soft landing of the Detroit Lions in Week 13, too. So wait for Cook’s prognosis and adjust accordingly.
(Kene Nwangwu, who also returned a kickoff for a touchdown, would put in complementary work and could be worth a nominal bid to take advantage of his big-play potential as well.)
- Alexander Mattison Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $28
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers (37% rostered)
Here we go again: Christian McCaffrey sustained another injury, so expect Hubbard to be in high demand.
Run CMC rolled his ankle and was spotted wearing a walking boot. McCaffrey played just one snap in the second of Week 12. Though Hubbard didn’t get many touches in that interim, Carolina was going pass-heavy with a big deficit to the Miami Dolphins, so game script hurt his ceiling.
In McCaffrey’s absence Weeks 4 through 8, Hubbard averaged a solid 10.7 half PPR points per game. P.J. Walker might be in at quarterback for Cam Newton after the bye week and could lean on a run game that might be led by Hubbard for at least another week.
If McCaffrey can avoid the dreaded high-ankle sprain, he may rest up enough through Carolina’s Week 13 bye to return in Week 14, but Hubbard remains a solid speculative scoop-up name who could help many fantasy playoff pushes.
- Chuba Hubbard Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $21
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Dontrell Hilliard & D’Onta Foreman, RB, Tennessee Titans (29% rostered)
Hilliard and Foreman look like a 1-2 punch to lead Tennessee’s backfield.
Foreman led with 19 carries and compiled a solid 109 yards, but Hilliard provided more excitement with a scalding 68-yard TD scamper on a draw play.
Both are serviceable pickups; go with Hilliard for the upside due to this more versatile skill set. With A.J. Brown (chest) out for at least another two weeks, these two should be called upon and are better for fantasy upgrades than any Titans wideout.
- Dontrell Hillard Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $11
- D’Onta Foreman Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $7 (Go higher in non-PPR or half-PPR)
Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, San Francisco 49ers (47% rostered)
Deebo Samuel‘s groin injury could lead to more work for Wilson, who acts as a pass-catching complement in a shared 49ers backfield when healthy with leader Elijah Mitchell.
Given how often San Fran runs and how much Samuel was eating into Mitchell and crew’s work, Wilson could prove flex-worthy for however long Samuel is shelved.
- Jeff Wilson Jr. Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $7
NEW – DeSean Jackson, WR, Las Vegas Raiders (5% rostered)
Don’t look now, but Derek Carr may have found his new deep threat. At nearly 35 years old, DeSean Jackson still has the speed to take the top off a defense and did just that on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys.
Jackson turned four targets into three receptions, 102 yards, and a touchdown. He’s still assimilating into the Las Vegas offense and should slide nicely into the role formerly occupied by Henry Ruggs III.
Jackson will certainly still be a boom-or-bust fantasy option, but given Carr’s propensity for downfield pass attempts – he’s attempted 11 more passes of 20+ yards than any other quarterback this season – D-Jax is a legitimate fantasy option.
- DeSean Jackson Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $6
Raiders wide receiver DeSean Jackson proved he’s still capable of making a big play in Las Vegas’s Week 12 win over the Dallas Cowboys. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
2021 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 13: Best Players To Stash
NEW – Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants (17% rostered)
Sterling Shepard has been in and out of the lineup for the Giants this season and hasn’t played since Week 8 because of a quad injury. There is a chance he could return as early as Week 13, but even if he isn’t ready to go, Shepard might be worth a spot on your roster as we near the fantasy playoffs.
Obviously, it’s hard to trust anyone on a Giants team that ranks near the bottom of the NFL in scoring (18.4 points per game), but, when healthy, Shepard has proven to be quarterback Daniel Jones’s top target in the passing game.
And despite what you may think, Jones has looked much improved at times this season, but his play has been negatively affected by the rotating cast of playmakers around him.
Shepard has only appeared in five games this season but saw nine or more targets in three of those contests. Whenever Shepard suits up, Jones is going to look his way.
- Sterling Shepard Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $6
2021 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 13: One-Week Streamer Plays
NEW – Russell Gage, WR, Atlanta Falcons (17% rostered)
I’m not sure you want to rely on anyone in this Atlanta offense outside of Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Pitts on a weekly basis, but Russell Gage has quietly caught five or more passes in three of the past four weeks. He’s topped 60 receiving yards in two of those performances and nabbed his second touchdown of the season in Week 12 against the Jaguars.
With a matchup in Week 13 against a Tampa Bay secondary that just allowed Carson Wentz to throw for 300+ yards and three touchdowns, Gage should see plenty of opportunities.
At worst, he offers fantasy owners a solid floor when the Falcons host the Bucs in Week 13.
- Russell Gage Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $7
NEW – New York Giants, Defense D/ST (2% rostered)
Streaming defenses is usually all about matchups and this situation is no different. In Week 13, the Giants travel to Miami to take on a Dolphins team that is coming off a surprising offensive outburst against the Carolina Panthers.
While Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa produced an efficient passing display, he and the Miami offense certainly benefitted from three Carolina turnovers.
The Dolphins still couldn’t find much success in the run game on a yards-per-carry basis, and if corner James Bradberry can lock up rookie standout Jaylen Waddle, Miami will struggle to move the ball.
The Giants defense, despite some injuries, produced a dominant display against the Eagles in Week 12, limiting Jalen Hurts to 129 passing yards and intercepting the Philadelphia quarterback three times. Look for this unit to put up another strong showing in Week 13.
- New York Giants D/ST Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: $5
